Finale
by Pi-chi Shokun
Summary: Hinta, Kiba, and Shino are returning to the Leaf Village after an important mission in the Sand Village. When they arrive, they discover something they almost can't believe.


The moon was a pallid silver, shining over the dilapidated Lea Village. The Village's Hokage trekked up the side of mount Hokage stopping for a brief respite when he was half way to the summit. He looked out at his once prosperous village that was now in ruins. He remembered the streets were lively with the fervent playing of young children who dreamt of becoming jonin or maybe even Hokage, but now.... now that entire dream had been stolen from them. Why was fate so cruel to him? It conjured up despair, sadness, sorrow, death, and lonesomeness in his childhood. Then, it would allow him the luxury of friendship and love. He would love his friends like they were family, but fate had to snatch them away from him -every single one.

***

Hinata, Kiba, and Shino had just returned from an important mission, they were shocked at the Leaf Village's devastation.

"What happened here?" Kiba asked aloud in stunned awe, "Our home is...."

Shino walked through the debris heading for the Hokage's council room.

"Shino! Wait up!" KIba called after the chunin and ran after him, "Come on Hinata!"

The lady was absolutely dumbfounded, _We were only gone for four days.... who could have caused such destruction? _Hinata thought, but another wave of thought overlapped her current one, _Naruto._

She sprinted past Kiba and Shino hopping from roof to roof with the agility of a cat and the grace of a swan.

"Hinata!" Kiba called.

Ruff! Akamaru barked.

The female chunin wouldn't listen, she had to know that Naruto was safe.

***

The Hokage continued his survey of his village. These villagers were innocent they hadn't deserved the treachery and devastation that fate had wrought upon them. His beloved Leaf Village was no more. It was now but a vague memory that lingered at the back of his mind. He turned his head to mount Hokage, how glorious it once was, with the carvings of the five great Hokages of the Leaf. Now they had been beat beyond recognition, his face was never completed. The workers were still merely working on his head when his village perished. _His_ village. He had been entrusted with the titanic responsibility, to protect the Village Hidden in the Leaf, and he had failed. He failed to preserve the lives of the innocent. He failed to be the leader he had promised to be. He failed to keep his promise to Sakura. He had failed.

***

Hinata was out of breath when she swung the door to the Hokage's office open. It was wrecked. Papers were strewn about, books were scattered across the floor. She eyed the single note left on the Hokage's desk. Hinata read it quickly, near the begining of it her hand was steady but at the end she began to tremble inexorably.

Kiba and Shino barged into the office panting like dogs.

"Hinata, what's wrong?" Kiba asked, the worry all to evident in his voice.

She slowly turned around, the note in her hand shaking like every other limb on her body. Shino ran forward and snatched the note from Hinata's grasp. He finished it quickly as well, and ended in the same state as Hinata.

"What does it say Shino!" Kiba ordered.

"We don't have much time," Hinata said, tears forming at the corner of her empty eyes.

"Yes," Shino agreed and leaped out the gaping hole in the Hokage's office.

Hinata jumped after him.

"What in the world is going on?!" Kiba exclaimed, hopping after his two companions.

***

The Hokage arrived at his destination that dark and dreary night- the summit of mount Hokage. Failure. That single word echoed in his head over and over and over again. Failure. That was why he was here at the summit of mount Hokage. That is why he left that letter on his desk in the Hokage's office. That is why he clutched his kunai for the last time. He removed his headband from his forehead and placed at his bare feet. Tears began to flood his sapphire eyes, streaming down his cheeks. He knew what he was doing would be for the good of the Leaf Village- and for the good of the world. He took one last glance at his dying village, closed his eyes and lifted the kunai to his throat.

* * *

I hope you enjoyed this morbid fanfic! Please review it, not only will that determine Naruto's fate, it'll also help me with the possible ending. Thank you greatly for reading this!

-Pi-chi Shokun


End file.
